Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics occurrence and fate in full-scale treatment wetlands

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and fate across full-scale treatment wetlands, finding that constructed wetlands effectively remove a significant proportion of MPs from wastewater but that removal efficiency varies with wetland design and MP characteristics.

2023 Water Research 34 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Land Use Patterns on Soil Microplastic Pollution in the Luoshijiang Sub-watershed of Erhai Lake Basin].

A study in the Luoshijiang sub-watershed of Erhai Lake found that land use type significantly influenced soil microplastic concentrations, with farmland and riparian zones showing higher contamination than grassland and woodland areas.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Flow Concentration on Water Microplastic Pollution in the Luoshijiang Sub-watershed of Erhai Lake Basin].

Researchers studied how variations in river flow concentration affect microplastic transport and distribution in the Luoshijian River, China, finding that higher flow events resuspend and redistribute MPs stored in sediments, increasing waterborne concentrations and downstream transport.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Abundance, characteristics, and removal of microplastics in the Cihu Lake-wetland microcosm system

This study evaluated how well a multi-stage constructed wetland system could remove microplastics from wastewater treatment plant effluent, finding a total removal rate of 94.7%. Horizontal subsurface flow wetlands were particularly effective, and physical filtration through the wetland substrate was identified as the dominant removal mechanism. The findings suggest that constructed wetlands are a promising nature-based solution for reducing microplastic discharge into aquatic environments.

2023 Water Science & Technology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics profile in constructed wetlands: Distribution, retention and implications

This study assessed microplastic distribution, retention, and implications within constructed wetlands used for wastewater treatment, finding that wetlands trap substantial quantities of MPs but that retention efficiency varies by plant species and wetland design. The results suggest constructed wetlands both remove and potentially accumulate MPs as a secondary pollution source.

2022 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics removal and characteristics of a typical multi-combination and multi-stage constructed wetlands wastewater treatment plant in Changsha, China

Researchers evaluated microplastic removal efficiency in a multi-stage constructed wetland wastewater treatment plant in China, finding that the combined treatment processes achieved significant microplastic reduction across successive stages, with constructed wetlands proving effective as a polishing step for microplastic removal.

2022 Chemosphere 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution Characteristics and Sources of Microplastics in Inland Wetland Ecosystem Soils

Researchers studied microplastic distribution across river, constructed, and lake wetlands in an inland ecosystem and found abundances ranging from 532 to 4,309 items per kilogram of soil. Lake wetlands emerged as a major sink for microplastics, while constructed wetlands did not significantly remove them. The study identified aquaculture, agriculture, and domestic waste as the primary sources of microplastic pollution in these wetland environments.

2025 Water 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Unmasking Microplastic Pollution: A Study on the Distribution and Impact of Microplastics in Yuehai Lake, China

This study surveyed microplastic characteristics and distribution across water samples from Yuehai Lake in China, finding widespread contamination with fragments and fibers, and identifying local anthropogenic activities and atmospheric deposition as primary sources.

2025 Science Letters
Article Tier 2

Horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands as tertiary treatment: Can they be an efficient barrier for microplastics pollution?

Horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands used as tertiary wastewater treatment removed 88% of microplastics from secondary effluent, contributing to an overall 98% reduction across the full treatment plant. Macroinvertebrates living in the wetland also ingested microplastics, suggesting biological uptake plays a role in plastic retention within the wetland ecosystem.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 155 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Identification in Domestic Wastewater-Treating Constructed Wetlands and Its Potential Usage in a Circular Economy

Researchers identified and characterized microplastics in constructed wetlands used for treating domestic wastewater, finding MP accumulation in the substrate and plants and assessing how well these nature-based treatment systems retain plastic particles before effluent is discharged.

2025 Processes
Article Tier 2

Migration characteristics of microplastics based on source-sink investigation in a typical urban wetland

Researchers investigated microplastic migration in a typical urban wetland by examining sources and sinks including surface water, sediment, and agricultural waste, revealing how wetlands serve as transitional systems channeling urban microplastic pollution into freshwater environments.

2022 Water Research 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Taihu Lake, China

Researchers surveyed Taihu Lake in China — one of the largest freshwater lakes in the country — and found microplastics throughout, with concentrations and polymer composition reflecting surrounding urban and industrial inputs.

2016 Environmental Pollution 1165 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in a Large Constructed Wetland: Retention, Transport, and Characteristics

This study examined microplastic dynamics in a large constructed wetland, finding that the wetland acts as a net sink for microplastics with retention varying by particle size and shape, and identifying flow velocity as a key driver of transport behavior.

2024 Environmental Engineering Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Water transfer projects and microplastics: Analyzing changes in lake environments with a focus on Wabu Lake, China

Researchers studied how opening a navigation channel in Wabu Lake, China, as part of a water transfer project changed microplastic concentrations and polymer composition in surface water and sediment. Navigation significantly reduced microplastic levels but also altered the dominant polymer types present.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Retention of microplastics by interspersed lagoons in both natural and constructed wetlands

Researchers used laboratory wetland models to test how well constructed wetlands with interspersed lagoons and aquatic vegetation can capture microplastic particles from water. Combining vegetated patches with a lagoon achieved microplastic retention rates of up to 99%, suggesting that nature-based wetland designs could be an effective low-cost strategy for filtering microplastics out of wastewater and rivers before they reach the ocean.

2023 Journal of Water Process Engineering 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis on advances and characteristics of microplastic pollution in China’s lake ecosystems

Statistical data on microplastic pollution were compiled and analyzed for 86 lakes across China's lake ecosystems over the past five years, revealing widespread contamination with concentrations generally higher in lakes near urban and industrial areas. The review identifies China's heavily polluted eastern lake region as a priority for microplastic monitoring and management intervention.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in sediments of a man-made lake receiving reclaimed water

Researchers found microplastics in sediments of a man-made lake receiving reclaimed water from a wastewater treatment plant, with fiber and fragment morphotypes predominating and concentrations correlating with distance from the reclaimed water input point, implicating treated wastewater as a microplastic source to recreational water bodies.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics from municipal wastewater in a surface flow treatment wetland

Researchers investigated microplastic retention in a full-scale surface flow treatment wetland receiving municipal wastewater, measuring microplastic concentrations in inflow, outflow, and atmospheric deposition, and finding significant retention within the wetland. Treatment wetlands represent a potential nature-based solution for reducing microplastic discharge to receiving water bodies.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in China’s largest freshwater lake system

Researchers found high levels of microplastics in both water and sediment across China's largest freshwater lake system, Poyang Lake, with concentrations up to 1,064 particles per cubic meter in water. The study reveals widespread contamination even in protected nature reserves, emphasizing the scale of the freshwater microplastics problem.

2020 Chemosphere 126 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban natural wetland as a sink for microplastics: A case from Lalu Wetland in Tibet, China

Microplastics were detected in water and sediment from Lalu Wetland in Tibet, a high-altitude urban natural wetland, establishing it as a sink for airborne and waterborne plastic particles. The study documents plastic contamination even in remote Tibetan ecosystems and highlights the role of wetlands in trapping microplastics from surrounding catchments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and removal of microplastics in a horizontal sub-surface flow laboratory constructed wetland and their effects on the treatment efficiency

Researchers investigated microplastic retention in a laboratory-scale constructed wetland, finding that the wetland effectively captured microbeads and fibers while examining how accumulated microplastics affected the treatment efficiency for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive analysis of microplastics in water, sediment and fish from a large recreational lake

Researchers surveyed microplastics in water, sediment, and fish from a large recreational lake in China, finding MPs across all sampled compartments with higher concentrations near tourist facilities and boat launch areas, raising concerns about human exposure through lake recreation and consumption of contaminated fish.

2025 Environmental Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Microplastics in Urban Freshwater Lakes: A Case Study in Songshan Lake of Dongguan, China

Researchers found microplastics in both surface water and sediments of Songshan Lake, an urban freshwater lake in China, identifying fiber shapes as dominant and using principal component analysis to trace sources including atmospheric deposition, runoff, and recreational activities.

2022 Water 30 citations
Article Tier 2

[Temporal and Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Multiple Media of an Urban River].

Researchers collected water and sediment samples from the Guanzhong section of the Weihe River Basin during wet and dry seasons to characterize the temporal and spatial distribution and risk of microplastics in an urban river system. Using density flotation and multiple analytical methods, they systematically documented microplastic abundance, morphology, and polymer composition across multiple environmental media.

2025 PubMed